Improvement in cotton-seed planters



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Letters Patent No. 106,859, dated August 30, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-SEED PLANTERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY N IGHOLLS, ofthe town of Fairtield, in the county of Nelson and State of Kentucky,have invented an improved Cottonseed Planter; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters ofreference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in so constructing and opera-ting amachine that it will open a furrow in the soil, drop the cotton-seedtherein, at such intervals and in such quantities as may be desired,till up the furrow, and cover the seed, and, by means of a roller, packthe soil over the seed, more or less in degree, as may be desired, allat one operation, and as fast as the machine may be drawn by a horse ormule.

To enable others skilled in the manufacture and use of such implementsto make and use seed-planters after inyinvention, I will proceed todescribe the construction and operation of the same.

In the drawing- Figure 1 represents a plan view of my machine as seenfrom above.

Figure 2, a bottom view as seen from beneath.

Figure3, a longitudinal vertical sectional view of it, showing the righthalf as if out through the center of the cog-wheel B and tongue F.

The seed-hopper 1) and the frame 0 C O O are supported upon the axle a,and are moved over the ground by means of the wheels A A.

The pieces 00 are framed into the end pieces/C C, so as to be parallelto the side pieces, and about six inches distantthcrefrom, one on eachside, so that the hub of each wheel is confined in its place by a sidepiece, 0, and inner side piece, 0'; and each one of the four pieces hasa journal-box on its under side for the axle.

On the center of the axle is fixed the cog-wheel B, so that, when theaxle revolves, it will revolve also.

The form of the seed-hopper, with its bottom E resting upon twocross-pieces, d (I, will be seen in the drawing.

An opening is cut in the bot-tom of the seed-hopper, so that thecog-wheel B may extend up into the lilterior of the hopper, say, two anda half inches, if it be about two feet in depth, and the opening shouldbe so nicely adjusted to the size and form of the cogwheel that, when itrevolves, no cotton-seed will escape except those thrown forward anddown, as designed, by the teeth or cogs of the wheel.

As a matter of course, the number of seed thrown out by each tooth ofthe wheel B will depend upon the length and width of the teeth, andtheir distances apart on the periphery of the wheel, and, therefore,

the manufacturer can, by changing dimensions and proportions, regulatethe rate of discharge of seed at will.

The right-hand wheel A is fixed fast upon the axle, and, like thecog-wheel B, which is the secd-dropper, revolves with the axle, whilethe left-hand wheel A revolves upon the axle independently.

The wheel H revolves upon the bolt 0, and its ofiice is to regulate thedepth of the opener G, which has the form shown in the drawing, and isfixed in the frame.

By the construction and arrangement of the hearing for the wheel H,markedf, it is adjustable in connection with the beam 1*. This, as wellas the clevis and some other parts, may be of metal, and the rest of theparts of wood, but nothing is claimed herein for novelty in material.

Two suitable bars, r r, are fastened, by hinge-joints, to the frontcross-piece of the frame, and constitute a frame for the roller J, whichserves to level the surface and pack-the soil when the seed has beendropped by the wheel B, and covered by the rake K. The head-piece of therake also constitutes a part of the frame, within which the rollerrevolves.

The form of the stirrer is shown in the drawing, and it is marked I. v

The bar I passes through the front head-piece of the seed-hopper, andhas three teeth, i i i, which may be so long only as to reach downwithin a couple .of inches of the top of the 'cog whcel B.

The stirrer is so arranged on the top of the hopper that the teeth maybe moved in the seed forward or backward, or to the right or the left,to loosen up the seed when they become packed into lumps, or otherwise;and it should be long enough for the driver to use while walking betweenthe handles 72. h.

The beam 1* may be formed as shown in the drawing, and fixed in theframe, and braced and stiffened in its position, as may be desired.

By means of a chain and a hook and eye, as shown in the drawing, therake and roller may be suspended above the surface when not in use. f

This, my machine, may well be used for the planting of other seeds thanthose of the cotton-plant.

It is scarcely necessary to add a word of explanation of the operationof my machine. The opener G opens the furrow, the cog-wheel B drops theseed into it, the rake K fills up the furrow and covers the seed, andthe roller J levels the surface and packs the soil, so as to prevent themoisture from drying up too quickly about the seed.

Having fully described my invention,

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination and arrangement of hopper D,

having a slotted hot-tom, with the cog-wheel B, for regulating thedischarge ofthe seed or grain, the axle a, rigidly fixed to andrevolving with one of the carriage or driving-wheels, the toothedstirrer I, pivoted :it the forward end, the carriage-wheels A and A, thewheel H, with its adjustable bearing, and the frame of the seed-planter,and constructed and operated substantially as described.

2. The combination and arrangement of the hopper D, stirrer I, cog-wheelB, axle a, carriage-wheels A and A, and frame of a seed-planter, theroller J,

with its bars '1 T hinged to the frame forward of the main axle, and therake K, when-they all are constructed and operated substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY NICHOLLS.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. TERRELL, LYNCH M. TERRELL.

